Mount Fanjing

Mount Fanjing or as it is called in Chinese, Fanjingshan is located in South West China. Rising to a height of just over 8200 feet, Mount Fanjing was named a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2018. Besides being a natural wonder, the area includes a number of Buddhist temples as well.

Mount Fanjing is considered a holy site in Buddhism and it’s name means “Brahma’s Pure Land”. It’s peak is known as the Red Cloud Golden Summit and is topped by two temples, with a narrow gorge in between and a footbridge linking them.

Getting to Mount Fanjing is not easy. Located about 12 miles from the city of Tongren, daily buses run to the mountain and the journey takes around 90 minutes. There is limited accommodation in the area. However, its relatively isolated location means, that it is home to a great variety of plant and animal life, including the rare Guizhou Golden Monkey and the Chinese Giant Salamander. The area has over 2000 varieties of plants and trees, many of them unique to the place.

However, this isolation can also be a blessing for the modern traveler, as Mount Fanjing is not overrun by tourists. Its possible to get to the top of the mountain and many pilgrims and visitors do so. The climb is not for the faint hearted, although there are stops along the way as well as some refreshment stalls. Legend has it, that there are 8888 steps to the top, so if you can make it to the peak, the views are spectacular. Another option is to take a cable car to a nearby outcrop, known as Mushroom Peak.

Mount Fanjing is a beautiful, quiet and unique site and can make a refreshing and spiritual change after the hustle and bustle of big cities.